2025 Audi A6 Avant revealed: new estate car gets mild hybrid power

On sale June | Price from £52,510

In 1998, cereal giant Kellogs changed the name of Coco Pops to Choco Krispies, bringing the name into line with how it appeared in Europe. Just a year later, however, the name was changed back because it was causing confusion among buyers. Now, Audi has made a similar about-turn, scrapping its short-lived convention of using odd numbers to indicate combustion-engined cars and even numbers for electric ones – and the result is that this new combustion-engined estate car carries the Audi A6 Avant name.

Previously, petrol and diesel-powered examples of the next-generation A6 Avant were expected to adopt the A7 moniker, but that’s no longer the case. In entry-level form, the A6 Avant is powered by a 201bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine, taking the hefty estate from rest to 62mph in 8.3sec. It benefits from Audi’s MHEV Plus mild hybrid assistance tech, which uses small amounts of electric power to help lower your fuel bills. And, unlike the mild hybrid systems in some rivals, it also lets you drive on electric power alone at low speeds. 

The sole diesel engine in the line-up is a 2.0-litre with 148bhp; this also uses MHEV Plus technology, and is offered only with Audi’s quattro four-wheel drive system. All A6s have an automatic gearbox; no manual option is offered.

There are no plug-in hybrids in the launch line-up, but green-minded buyers do have the existing A6 Avant e-tron to consider for an all-electric alternative.

As an alternative to the standard steel-sprung suspension, the A6 Avant will be offered with sports suspension that lowers the ride height by 20mm, while an air suspension option enables you to stiffen or soften the ride at the touch of a button. Buyers can also choose between Balanced, Comfort, Dynamic and Efficiency driving modes, changing the suspension firmness, acceleration and steering responses to suit your mood, or to reduce fuel consumption.

Audi has yet to release any official economy figures, but the A6 is said to be the most aerodynamic Audi Avant ever, thanks to its slippery shape, and this should help minimise running costs.

Drivers can personalise their A6 beyond the usual wheels and paint options, by choosing from seven digital light signatures which change the way the LED headlights look when you lock or unlock the car.

Inside, the A6 takes the same approach as the newly launched A5 executive car, with up to three screens taking up almost the full width of the interior. These include an 11.9in digital driver’s display, a 14.5in infotainment touchscreen and an optional 10.9in screen for the front passenger to use.

We were impressed with the crisp graphics offered by this set-up in the A5, but frustrated that – as with the A6 – the climate controls are integrated into the touchscreen rather than being operated by physical switches like they are in the BMW 5 Series Touring. The infotainment incorporates smart voice control, powered by ChatGPT artificial intelligence, allowing you to ask questions of your car, such as what the weather’s like at your destination, or where the nearest supermarket is. A premium sound system from Bang & Olufsen is available via the options list, as is a head-up display that can project key driving information onto the windscreen in your line of sight.

Adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and parking sensors all come as standard on the A6 Avant, while Audi’s adaptive driving assistant plus system (which brings together several assistance systems to take some of the stress and effort out of motorway driving), is on the options list.

Elsewhere, a new panoramic glass roof can be darkened electronically in sections, allowing you to enjoy the sunshine, for example, while your children are shaded in the rear seats.

Those, incidentally, are likely to be more accommodating than those in the outgoing old A6 Avant, thanks to the new model being 60mm longer. 

And when it comes to storing your luggage, the A6 Avant’s 503-litre boot capacity may be lower than the 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class Estate and Volkswagen Passat offer, but we suspect it’ll still be enough for your holiday luggage. The A6’s rear seats split and fold in a handy 40/20/40 configuration, and an electric tailgate is standard – you need only wave your foot under the rear bumper to open it.

The new A6 Avant will be offered in Sport, S Line and Edition 1 trim, with prices starting from £52,510. That’s less than you’d pay for a 5 Series Touring and a lot less than the E-Class Estate will cost you. And, as you might expect, all three cars make our current class champion, the Passat, look like a comparative bargain.

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